This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Multiple sclerosis is a disease characterized by demyelination of the spinal cord and brain tissue. Traditionally, quantitative MR imaging has been hampered by long scan times. However, the mcDESPOT (multi-component driven equilibrium single pulse observation of T1/T2) technique allows for not only fast and accurate mapping of T1 and T2 relaxation times in the whole brain, but also the characterization of two water pools within a voxel. The faster pool is thought to represent water trapped inside a myelin sheath. To read about other projects ongoing at the Lucas Center, please visit http://rsl.stanford.edu/ (Lucas Annual Report and ISMRM 2011 Abstracts)